A Chinese-manufactured vehicle will make its movie debut in the fourth installment of the "Transformers" series next year in a product placement designed to increase the profile of Chinese vehicles.
The Trumpchi E-jet car, a plug-in electric hybrid developed by Guangzhou Automobile Group, will be featured in "Transformers: Age of Extinction," which hits theaters in 2014, according to Reuters.
The "Transformers" series has featured a number of Chinese brands over the years, including Lenovo Group, which makes PC and TVs, and Meters/bonwe, a leisurewear company.
"Product placements with "Transformers" would boost the profile of GAC's car brands both at home and abroad," said one of those close to the carmaker, which has local joint ventures with Fiat SpA, Honda Motor Co Ltd, Toyota Motor Corp and Mitsubishi Motors Corp.
The "Transformer" films have done extremely well in China, including the most recent one "Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon," which grossed $165 million back in 2011 according to IMDB.
The new film will be shot in the U.S. and China, and Chinese singer/actor Han Geng will be making his English-language feature debut in the film, according to Paramount Pictures.
Director Michael Bay has yet to confirm if the E-jet vehicle will be an autobot, decepticon, or if it will just be a vehicle used/seen briefly in the film somehow.
The automaker has no intentions of commercializing the Trumpchi as of press time.
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